Ciao my dear friends, it's a lot of time that, in the peaceful Po Valley
where I reluctantly reside, you get up in the morning and you immediately would like to close the shutters . A suffocating, uniform grayness is present every day in these winter months where the sun is a distant memory. We have inside a need of light, color, sensation, essential elements from which the summer has left us orphans.To look at the
photos of South India is like to immerse myself in a colorful world
full of humanity that left me unforgettable memories. One of the places that made me understand why India gets inside you and never leaves you is Madurai. It is situated in southern Tamil Nadu, a busy city crowded of pilgrims who
visit it because it is an important religious center as well as one of
the most ancient cities. It's also famous for the textile industry. Here,
in 1921, Mahatma Gandhi decided to wear only clothes in khadi cotton
(made with hand looms) and even now Madurai is full of tailors. But
the highlight is the beautiful complex of the Sri Meenakshi Temple, its
undisputed symbol, located in the heart of the old town. A
monument in the redundant Dravidian style with a lot of gopurams (pyramid- shaped towers,
entrances to the Dravidian temples) covered with an amazing profusion of
colorful images depicting male and female deities, animals and mythical
creatures.When
I came into this complex, barefoot and dressed in a blouse and pants in
blue shantung, I felt like I became part of a fantasy world, a
complex and enveloping theater. Pilgrims
who officiated complicated and fascinating religious ceremonies, the
faithfuls who were praying, incense, candles, ancient architecture, but
in some ways surprisingly modern, hypnotic songs. An intense atmosphere that stun and capture.The
Sri Meenakshi Temple is an incredible example of Dravidian art,
designed in 1560 by Vishwanata Nayak with a history dating back to 2000
years ago when Madurai was a Pandyan capital . His 12 gopuram, richly decorated, are redundant of divine figures and animals. Inside, long corridors lead to shrines dedicated to the gods. The
practice says that it's a must to pay tribute right a way to the female deities:
that's for this reason that almost all the pilgrims enter from the south east gate and go
directly to the shrine of Meenakshi (Goddess Parvati, consort of Shiva).I leave you with colorful images of this stunning temple, one of the most beautiful in South IndiaA big kiss to you all!